The honeymoon in Hawaii is over much too soon. Zack and I spent nearly every day with Mom, Dad and Tyler, enjoying the sites and activities. Tyler didn't mind staying with Grandpa and Grandma overnight as long as Zack or I read his bedtime books. Spending time with my family and Tyler is healing more bits of me. I'm happier than ever, and it's noticeable to Mom and Dad.
During the last day of our honeymoon, Zack and I took Tyler to the beach, leaving Mom and Dad to have time together without being responsible for a child. I caught them walking along the surf a few times, hand-in-hand with Mom kicking water as it washed over her feet. The most memorable moment is when Mom tosses her head back and laughs at something Dad says. I grab the camera to take photos. Mom embraces Dad and rises on her toes to kiss him. It's more affection than I had seen in my childhood. All we're missing is the sunset as a backdrop to enhance the perfect image.
"They look happy," Zack says, noticing my parents on the beach. I feel like the paparazzi as I digitally capture the moment. Maybe I can print it in black and white for the desired effect.
"I agree. It's nice to see they truly love each other. I always thought Dad tolerated her, but now I see there's a deeper connection. Getting away from the Burg is the best thing for them and their marriage," I reply, reviewing the photos on the digital camera. "It will probably do Valerie and the girls some good."
"When do they move?" Zack asks, helping Tyler fill another bucket with sand. I can't resist capturing the image.
"Thanksgiving," I reply, watching Tyler dump more sand on the structure Zack is creating. His hands mould the damp sand into something which takes several minutes to materialize.
Zack and Tyler are building a sandcastle. It isn't the typical castle-like structure most men help their children create. I laugh upon realizing it's Shrek's home in the swamp. Earlier, they made other creations like Donkey, Shrek and the gingerbread man. I take pictures using my phone and send them to the guys back home.
Lester and Hector would get a kick out of what Zack and Tyler could build in the sand. It gives me the idea of hosting a sandcastle competition at home. Maybe I can pass it off as a Rangeman team-building exercise. Most of the guys get along, but they lack the sense of family we had in Trenton. I miss Woody, Vince, Binkie, Manny and Cal. Hopefully, they relocate to Miami to run the satellite office once my family moves. They're only staying in Trenton to protect my four nieces and one nephew.
Hearing our laughter, Mom and Dad approach. They smile lovingly at Tyler as he adds more sand to the pile so Zack can shape it into another masterpiece. "You're talented, Zachary," Mom says. No matter how often Zack tells her to shorten his name, Mom persists in using the one his mother gave him.
"Bonnie and I spent many summer days building sand creatures," Zack explains. He takes Tyler's hands to show him how much pressure is needed to make the sand stick.
Gently touching his shoulder, Mom says, "Your sister will be proud of you for sharing this precious activity with Tyler." Mom lovingly ruffles Tyler's hair. He grins at his grandmother. She removes the sunscreen from my beach bag and apply more to Tyler's torso, arms and face. Mom didn't bother with his sand-covered legs or hands. I pass her a towel I borrowed from the villa to dry her hands.
"Did you take pictures?" Dad asks, pointing to the fantastic creations in the sand.
"I did, but only using my phone," I reply. Dad extends a hand for the camera. I grin while surrendering it. Dad didn't disappoint when he checks the images on the device. He stares at one photo and slams his blank expression in place. I stand on my beach blanket to see which image caught his eye. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Dad replies. "Your mother and I look happy. Her hair and sarong are blowing slightly with the breeze." I look over his shoulder and grin. It's the photograph where Mom is laughing at Dad's joke.
"I'm planning to print it and a few others in black and white. I can get Hector to use Photoshop to create a sunset, which will be the only colour," I say, explaining my idea while searching the internet. "Maybe you can give it to Mom for Christmas."
I hand Dad my phone to look at the inspiration for my photograph print idea. He smiles and says, "It's perfect. Your mother will love that."
"Mommy, I hot," Tyler says. I offer Tyler a hand, which he accepts. Zack surprises me by taking Tyler's other hand. We walk to the surf and splash in the water. I'm aware of Mom and Dad taking pictures to capture our family moment. She's using my phone while Dad changes the zoom lens on the camera to get closer shots without messing up the resolution.
We eat snacks and remain hydrated for the afternoon. The sun starts to set. Mom and Dad walk hand-in-hand toward the beach. I know Dad wants an authentic photograph of them walking in the sunset. I'm patiently waiting for them to get into the perfect position to take the pictures. The breeze is stronger, blowing Mom's sarong behind her and exposing her leg. I take copious photographs for Dad to have a variety. He says something to Mom, and she laughs with her head back. I capture the perfect shot.
"Wave," I shout. Dad and Mom turn their heads without twisting their bodies and wave. I love the resulting picture.
Zack and Tyler want to see the image, which has me grinning from ear to ear. "Did someone take pictures of us at sunset?" Zack asks.
"Dad took some a few days ago. I'm glad I could repay the favour," I reply. "Mom stayed in the villa with Tyler so that Dad could capture our moments on the beach."
"Did he get pictures of us…you know?" Zack asks, referring to us going into the water for sex.
"No," I reply. "Even if Dad did, you couldn't see anything. You left my chest alone, and everything else was below water. Plus, it was too dark for Dad to see anything. Your kisses muffled my vocalization."
"He probably knows what we did," Zack says. I pack the blanket, towels and other beach toys and hook the oversized bag over my shoulder. It's time to return to the villa.
My face turns pink. "You're probably right, but Dad will never say anything to embarrass us. We're consenting adults. He probably noticed the signs and returned to the villa. Dad wouldn't want to watch his daughter engaged in marital activities," I reply, carefully avoiding the word sex. Tyler didn't know what sex was, but he might repeat parts of this conversation to Dad or Mom.
"Tyler, did you have fun on our vacation?" Zack asks.
"Yup," Tyler replies, recounting everything he did and saw. Some of the words he mispronounces, but we get the idea. Tyler mentions being afraid the plane will hurt his ears.
"We can try blowing your nose or getting you to drink from a straw. Daddy and I will do everything possible to make your ears feel better, okay?" I ask. Tyler nods, laughing when Zack scoops him off the beach to place him on his shoulders.
Mom and Dad meet us outside the door. We enter the house to prepare dinner. Zack takes Tyler upstairs for a bath, leaving the rest of us to cook. Dad grabs the burgers from the fridge and goes outside to barbecue them. I help Mom prepare the side dishes in the kitchen. We had an enjoyable dinner on our last night in Hawaii.
In the morning, Mom and I cook scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, and toast for breakfast, hoping it would get us through the morning until we had lunch during the flight home. I'm not looking forward to the trip home. It's too long. I'll need a vacation to recover from the honeymoon.
"Thank you for allowing your father and I to accompany Tyler on your honeymoon," Mom says.
"Zack and I appreciate your help to keep Tyler company overnight. We wanted a proper honeymoon, but neither of us could fathom leaving Tyler behind so soon after adopting him," I reply, waving off her gratitude.
"He would have been fine with us at home," Mom says. She touches my arm to get me to look at her without uttering a demand. "You always put family first. I'm not surprised you wanted your newly adopted son with you on your honeymoon. I knew your heart could hold love for your children because you love freely and completely. It also makes you too trusting."
"I know that got me into a lot of trouble when I was younger. I'm listening to my spidey sense and can protect myself from harm," I reply. "I'm not inclined to follow men into a dangerous situation, but my spidey sense kept me alive while I worked for Vinnie."
"You inherited it from your father," Mom says. "It kept him safe in Vietnam and other deployment locations during his military career." Mom smiles and hugs me, which seems to happen more than usual.
"Mom," I whine when she hugs me too tightly. "When did you get so touchy-feely?" I tease.
Giggling, she replies, "Mary Alice says a hug can say everything you can't form into words."
"Smart girl," I laugh.
"She's so much like you. I can't wait until we're in Miami as a family. The humidity will wreak havoc on my hair, but I can handle it," Mom says.
Dad strolls into the kitchen and announces, "Zack is dressing Tyler. I put our luggage in the SUV."
"Thank you, dear," Mom affectionately replies. She grabs a plate from the cupboard to serve Dad's breakfast. He kisses her cheek as he accepts the dish. Dad sits at the table to eat.
"Mom, go keep Dad company," I say. I see her glance over my shoulder several times before dishing her breakfast and joining Dad at the table. "I can serve my husband and son's breakfast," I insist. Mom tenderly touches my cheek and does as I say. She takes a moderate serving of the eggs and sausages, leaving plenty of food for my guys.
The coffee machine sputters as the last of the delicious coffee drips into the glass carafe. I pour two cups of coffee and carry them to the table for Mom and Dad. Mom adds three teaspoonfuls of sugar and cream. She drinks her coffee the same way I do. Dad, like all my Merry Men, drinks his coffee black.
Zack and Tyler arrive as I'm preparing their plates. I cut the sausage and pancakes on Tyler's plate, making it easier for him to eat. Mom jumps up from the table to grab a tea towel to use as a bib. She lays another one across Tyler's lap. "Try to eat over your plate so you don't spill the syrup on your clean clothes," Mom warns. Tyler grins and nods.
I sit beside Zack and eat my breakfast. Everything tastes delicious, as always. Mom starts clearing the table as people finish eating. As usual, Tyler is the last to empty his plate. I grab a washcloth to clean the syrup from his hands and face. I'm glad Mom made him wear the tea towels to keep his clothes clean. Tyler's clothes didn't get sticky. Mom gathers the linens and dumps them into the washing machine for the maid to wash. We check the bathrooms and bedrooms to ensure we have everything. I find Tyler's favourite book beneath the bed.
"Did you check everywhere?" Mom asks when I descend the stairs.
"Yes. I found Tyler's book," I reply, waving the item for her to see. "It's the one his mother bought when he was born." I open the cover to read the note from Bonnie, where she tells Tyler how much she loves him and that the book will remind him of how much.
"I'm glad you found it," Mom says, gently touching my arm.
"Me too. It's irreplaceable. Maybe I should buy another copy and put the original in a safe," I reply.
"You need to copy that note," Mom advises. "Children will notice the difference."
"I'll tell Tyler what I'm doing and ask if I can photocopy his mom's note to paste into the new book," I reply. Mom smiles in agreement.
The drive to Inouye Airport takes under an hour. We unload the luggage from the SUV while Dad settles the bill for the rental. Mom checks Tyler's seat to ensure he didn't hide something. She finishes checking under the seats when Dad returns with a Thrifty Car Rental employee who examines the vehicle, records the mileage and checks the gas level. The employee thanks us for keeping the SUV clean and damage free.
Our flight home took longer because of the turbulent weather, delaying our departure by nearly two hours. The tropical storm seemingly appeared out of nowhere. We missed our connecting flight in Orlando by thirty minutes. The next flight wouldn't leave for another two hours. Thankfully, someone, who I suspect is Ranger, sent the Rangeman jet to collect us. It's quicker than driving, albeit more expensive.
I find the man of mystery awaiting our arrival in Miami. Ranger's leaning against his Porsche Cayenne, which has enough room for my family and our luggage. He pushes off the vehicle to help Dad and Zack with the luggage.
Tyler's asleep, so I carry him to the SUV and deposit him in the car seat without awakening. I need sleep and food. "Did you send the jet?" Dad asks while climbing into the front passenger seat beside Ranger. Mom is sitting in the third row of seats with Tyler. Zack and I are in the middle row.
"I monitored the flights. When I noticed you couldn't meet the connecting flight, I sent the jet," Ranger explains.
"How much do we owe?" Dad asks, willing to cover the cost of the fuel and the pilot's wage.
"There's no price when it involves Stephanie and her family," Ranger replies. "She brought light to the darkness lingering inside Rangeman. I'm indebted to her. All the money in the world wouldn't be enough to repay Stephanie for her acceptance, kindness, love and friendship."
"I'm sorry, Stephanie," Mom says.
"For what?" I ask in confusion.
"Not seeing the extraordinary woman you became despite forcing you to conform to the Burg rules," she replies.
"Mom, we talked about this already. We have a healthy relationship now, and that's all that matters," I argue.
"Despite all my efforts, you still remained true to yourself. I'll never forgive myself for everything I've done."
"Helen, leave those thoughts in the past," Dad orders. "There's no way to travel back in time and make different choices. We have to accept our mistakes and move forward to build upon our new relationship." In other words, Dad will be upset with Mom if she ruins his chances of spending time with his grandson.
"Can we continue this discussion when I'm not about to fall asleep?" I ask, hoping Mom and Dad will take the hint and drop it. I yawn, accentuating the point.
The Ranger drives us home. Mom and Dad will spend the night and take the Rangeman jet to Trenton in the morning. Ranger and Tank have their annual evaluations to conduct in person. Hopefully, he will return with my remaining Merry Men.